


Mamihlapinatapei

by PineTrain



Category: Gravity Falls
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-17
Updated: 2017-04-17
Packaged: 2018-10-20 08:09:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 560
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10658472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PineTrain/pseuds/PineTrain





	Mamihlapinatapei

“From Yagan, the indigenous language of the Tierra del Fuego region of South America. This word has been translated in several ways in English, always implying a wordless yet meaningful look shared by two people who both desire to initiate something but are both reluctant to start.”

Dipper reread the translation a few times and leaned back into the love seat, still staring at the screen. He’d only stumbled on this website by accident. Flipping through an aggregator site, “10 Most Difficult Words to Translate” had sounded interesting enough to click the link.

And it really was interesting. Other languages could express an idea in one word that took English an entire sentence to describe. He wondered if English had any words that took whole sentences to explain when translated to other languages. ‘Irony’ came to mind, considering the popularity of the song by Borissette.

Yet when he reached this word he stopped wondering about anything else. It was the perfect word to describe what he’d been suspecting was happening the last few weeks. It wasn’t every time, but often when he and Mabel were alone there would be these moments where the air felt still and his heart thudded louder. Each of them felt like the perfect time to move in, to confess his feelings with a kiss, but he would always hold back. He would think he must be wrong and convince himself it was ridiculous to hope otherwise.

Now that he saw this word though, Dipper felt like those moments had a name and he began reconsidering them all. Wasn’t there something they all had in common? A pattern in Mabel’s behavior that made him feel like he could push forward? Something he’d never put together because he’d always been too scared?

The shy grin she gave before her eyes flicked away. The way she pushed her hair behind her ear and glanced back at him. The tone of her voice when she asked, “What’s up?” every time.

Dipper turned to look at her. She was seated next to him reading a romance novel. She must have caught his movement in her peripheral vision because she looked up at him.

“What’s up?” she asked.

No, that wasn’t the tone. Dipper didn’t answer, simply staring as his heart sank a little at the prospect that he might have been wrong. Overly hopeful again.

Then he saw her cheeks begin slowly turning a bit pink. Mabel grinned a little and looked away. There was only a single strand of hair out of line but she still stroked her fingers across her temple to brush it behind her ear before her eyes came back to his.

“I said…what’s up?” she asked again, her voice quieter but now carrying that particular tone.

Her cheeks were bright red as Dipper looked down to her lips. They’d never been that red before, even in all those other moments. Maybe he had his own tells that she had noticed. If he did then they were certainly in overdrive right now.

“Nothing,” he said softly, reaching up to cup her cheek.  
Mabel seemed a bit surprised but her eyes glimmered with anticipation. She didn’t resist as he guided her face towards his.

When their lips pressed together, Dipper wondered if there was a word for Mamihlapinatapei when one person finally does initiate the action.


End file.
